The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-11-19
NUMBER 3S.

being moved and flung about. NV
skylight had hard wood frame and
heavy glass, and the feelers found
very little to grasp. The noise made
as the cups fastened to the glass by
suction and let go again was like the
snap OF a pair of pincers. Looking
from the bulbs eye in the stern
could see that the water was all in a
commotion, although there was not
breath of air outside.
had dozen muskets, as many
pixies. several cutlasses, and nine or
ten hatchets in the cabin. This was
the schooner's regular armament, for
we were continually among suspi-
cious people. let the men take their
choice of weapons, and then divided
our force and sent half the num-
Der backAto the foFecastle, from which
they could open the attack at sig
nal. Then | carefully slid back the
door OF the companion to get ii iuuK
on deck. The sight was one no man
could ever forget. If there was one
octopus on the port rail their were a
dozen, and if there was one fpeIer
twisting and squirming around the
decks there were forty. They were
twisted about everything and pulled
at everything. Every coil of rope
was Off its pin and being dragged
and whipped about in the widest
fashion. and from the motion of the
schooner one could dot think the
monsters were trying to capsize her.
L dld not have more than thirty sec.
Onds' time to glance around before
three or four feelers shot at me at
once. and | closed the slide not a Sec
Ond too soon to avoid them.
1t was death in its most horrible
form to put foot on the deck, and I
sent word to the men in the forecastIe
not to attempt any movement. I
was in hopes that if we remained
quiet the creatures would tire them
selves out and 60 away after awhile,
and we spoke in whispers and moved
about as softly as possible. They had
come aboard of US about o'clock in
the morning, and at 10 o'clock were
still there, though for the last half
hour the noise on deck had been less.
This was accounted for by the fact
that almost everything movable had
gone overheard. There was not at
this time Delaying pin. capstan bar,
stick of firewood, oar or loose rope
on board. The scuttle butt, which
no sea sweeping over us could dis
lodge, had been wrenched from its
fastenings and rolled from stern to
stern dozen times. Blankets which
the men had brought up the previous
evening had ! cen rent and torn in
all sorts of shapes as the horrid arms
pulled at them. The tarpaulins had
been torn from the matches and drag
ged about, and had not the hatch
covers been securely hooked they
would certainly have been Wrenched
off.
Shortly after 10 O'Clock I slid back
the door to secure another look. 1t
seemed as if some of the creatures
were gone ; at least there were not so
many arms twisting about. Lifting
my head until | could see along the
r4H Il . r
only two OctOpuses. Others were in
the water alongside, however, and
mad their leeierS over the rail, some
ciInglng fast to shr0ud or mast, while
others were carefully moving about.
"A breeze had come up, and | was an
cry and impatient at the delay, but [
restrained ySelf to wait for another
half h,'ur. By that time the creatures
had deserted Us entirely. From the
cnmmotion in the water on the rocky
reef, had no doubt that il was the
den or nesting place of the creatures,
anG that they had returned after
venting their anger on US as far as
possible. Such rifle rattle | never
saw before or after on vessels deck.
We could not put to sea in such
shape. but L had to threaten the men
with pistol before l could get one
of them to enter the yaWl aud pick
up the stuff floating about. We
worked swiftly and as silently as
possible to make good the damage,
keeping man on the lookout all the
time, aud we were thankful body
of men when the anchor was finally
up and we were clear of the bay.
AS to the strength of an octopus, /
will tell you what four or five of US
! once saw at one of the spice islands.
There was yawl floating astern Of
small trading schooner anchored
| off the beach. | was on the schooner
talking with the captain, and his
crew of five men were all on deck,
when an octopus rose on the port side
of the yawl and flung three of his
tentacles into it. We saw everything
from the first move! The arms, slid
ing about, found nothing to lay hold
of, and then. as if the octopus was in
dignant at his i'll luck, he capsizpd
the yawl in twinkIing. The water
was not over twelve feet there, and
getting hold on the rocks, he pulled
the yawl astern until he broke the
! IN INF fnr xtyl lab